New problem arising- crating? leave in house? what would you do?

the dog is bored and tired of being locked up ... how much exercise does the dog get ??? it is possible to work full time and have a calm and relaxed dog at home but it takes a lot of exercise and mental stimulation for them to tolerate those long hours alone ... when i worked outside the home, i had a jack russell terrier, and i had to exercise her for an hour before i left for work ... i would take her to the park and play chuck-it or frisbee until she was panting ... and as soon as i got home from work it was off for at least another hour of intense play ... and a before bed walk ... with that amount of exercise she was calm and non-destructive in the house for ten hours a day (one hour to get to work, eight hours of work, and one hour to get home) ... i don't think crating a dog for nine hours is humane ... if the dog is damaging the door, put something up for the time being that can not be damaged ... i had a dog once who was afraid of balloons and i hung several on the doorknob and that kept the dog back from the door ... if your dog is more determined you can go to a hardware store and get some type of product that will withstand any scratching, and screw it to the door where the dog is damaging and keep it there until the dog is no longer anxious to be left ... my friend used tin foil taped to the base of his door and that was enough to keep his dog back ... leave toys like a kong filled with frozen peanut butter ... they even have a motorized machine that will drop toys at different times during the day ... so a few hours into the day it could drop a kong and a few hours into the afternoon it could drop one of those toys you fill with kibble ... you could also hire a dog walker to take the dog out for a walk mid-day a day or two each week for some variety and exercise ...

It is hard to have a dog and work all day. Many people do it but you just have to find something that works. She is obviously getting weird by having her locked in your laundry room. It may seem nice to you but its a prison cell for her. Crating for 9 hours does sound a bit brutal perhaps you could get an exercise pen that would allow her more room. At least she could get up and move around and lay back down again. You could use the pen to barricade her into a room where she can't do anything. This is hard because my dog loved to lick drywall until there was a big football sized hole down to the wood. If you pick the kitchen she could scratch up your cupboards etc. I ended up using two pens and running them just out of reach of the wall board and fastened them together, actually quite a lot of room. And crating her will give her the feeling of being part of the household and she can see everything and she doesn't feel so isolated.

But doggy day care is also an excellent idea if not better (if she gets along with others and if you can afford it )

Being locked up nine hours without a toilet is torture. No dog should be asked to go more than six hours at a time on a regular basis. Even though you don't get upset when she can't hold it that long, she is terribly upset about it.

I'm not sure what you expect her to do for nine hours alone. This is a living creature with a brain and a need for companionship.

Can you provide her an insulated dog house or install a pet door so she has access to the fenced yard? If the house is rented, buy a door and cut in the pet door, then replace it when you move out. I swear by pet doors.

Sounds like she has some pent up energy that is frustrating her even if you think she is "lazy". Have you tried giving her a good walk before you leave, this allows herself to releave herself and lose some energy. Even a short 30 minute walk might make all the difference. Additionally, make sure she has something positive to chew on, buy the same chew sticks so that they are identifiable to her. If she chews on something bad replace it with something she can chew on.

She is just simply acting out because she is bored.

As far as accidents go, 9hours is too long for a dog to hold it. If she has an accident it's not her fault. Buying pee pads may be a good idea, at least she would have a certain spot that is okay to "go" on rather then trying to hold it for 9 hours.

We also have been told by trainers not to fuss over the dog when you get home. This can worsen separation anxiety. Simply walk in, let her out to pee. When she is calm you may acknowledge her.

And there is always doggie daycare.

Try these things before crate training her.

I have had the same problem in the past. She probably gets very bored and anxious being left alone for 9 hours. If you don't think she'll do any damage to the house, I would put her in the house. Maybe you could put your cats in a bedroom/different level or something?

Another option would be doggie day care, which is great for the dog, but this may cost a lot of money.

Good luck, I hope this helps!

It sounds as if something has happened in the laundry to scare her and she is now nervous of it.

First, try to see if she will go into the laundry happily when you don't need to go to work. Spend some time trying to get her to walk into the laundry, sit and lie down in there etc. Basically showing her that the laundry isn't all bad.

As for what to do in the interim, if you would like to put her outside but are afraid she'll be cold/get wet you could get a kennel and insulate it with wool and put lots of fluffy blankets in it so that if she DOES get cold, she has a place to go, but in addition to this, you could always get her used to wearing a dog coat so that she is nice and warm regardless of the kennel.

I know a lot of people have negative connotations about dog coats and think that all the coats available are the thin pink ones you see people dressing their little dogs in but they actually have a variety of uses. At the SPCA, with our thin coated and/or skinny dogs we coat them during the night and on cold days so that they aren't too cold. At home, I have two coats for my dogs so that I can walk them in the rain without worrying about them getting cold. Both coats are wool lined, water proof rain coats

It sounds like your heart is in the right place, but I just don't get owners who get dogs just to have them locked in cages or laundry rooms 9+ hours a day.

She needs to go to doggie daycare. She's bored out of her mind and probably suffering stress.

Sounds like she's developing separation anxiety. Talk to an animal behaviorist and/or a vet.

The behaviorist is your best bet and should be able to help you ease your dog's anxiety. A vet can give her medication to help deal with it, but doesn't fix the problem.